In many applications that relate to measurement and assessment of ground reaction forces, such as rehabilitation, sports assessment, as well as design and construction of work places, an ability to make assessments about an activity may be improved by knowing the force or forces exerted on a limb or body part during its collision with a surface. This is because excessive forces acting on the limb(s), joint(s) or body part(s) during the collision may lead to injuries and/or damage to the limb(s), joint(s) or body part(s). Knowing the force or forces exerted on the limb(s), joint(s) or body part(s) may also enable symmetry/asymmetry between the forces to be computed. In one study an asymmetry index has been correlated with risk of injury.
A number of mechanical and/or physiological and/or biomechanical changes may occur when for example a limb or body part of a mammal such as a foot collides with a relatively hard surface such as the ground. In a mechanical/biomechanical context, the forces exerted during the collision may lead to sudden displacement of a part or parts of the limb or body part involved in the collision causing external and/or internal damage to the structure of the limb or body part of the mammal.
Some surfaces may be relatively more resilient and different surfaces may cause the limb(s), joint(s) or body part(s) to experience different forces. In a similar way, different techniques of running, different speeds, different shoes, gait patterns may also influence forces experienced by the body part(s). Forces may also be measured on a whole body such as the body of a mammal landing on a water or snow surface. This may have implications for assessing ski jumpers landing on a snow surface. In one example forces may be measured on a worker's wrist/hand striking a surface in order to help align parts, such as a vehicle assembly worker striking a die component to push it into place with possible implications for assessing workplace injuries.
Ground reaction forces have traditionally been measured via force platforms or force plates such as force plates manufactured by Advanced Mechanical Technology Inc. (AMTI). The measurements have been used to quantify ground reaction forces (GRFs), balance, gait and/or other parameters of biomechanics. Such measurements have been useful in areas of application such as medicine and sports. However such measurements are currently restricted to laboratory conditions since force platforms do not generally allow for a comprehensive measurement of parameters of biomechanics outside the laboratory or a tightly controlled setting. Force plate data is available in some specialist treadmills, but fundamentally changes running forces because the ground is moving under the subject. They also fail to provide an ability to measure forces on different terrains, slopes, cambers etc.
The present invention may alleviate the disadvantages of the prior art and/or may improve accuracy and/or validity and/or functionality and/or availability of GRF data. The present invention may also provide an ability to measure force data in virtually any setting, out in the field.
A reference herein to a patent document or other matter which is given as prior art is not to be taken as an admission that that document or matter was known or that the information it contains was part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere as at the priority date of any of the disclosure or claims herein. Such discussion of prior art in this specification is included to explain the context of the present invention in terms of the inventor's knowledge and experience.
Throughout the description and claims of this specification the words “comprise” or “include” and variations of those words, such as “comprises”, “includes” and “comprising” or “including, are not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps.